What Days may Bring
by Cheshire Grin1
Summary: Hisoka is suffering under the yoke of Tsuzuki's past and, in order to keep his partner, Tsuzuki has to leave everything in his past behind, and destroy in the present all that could be considered a threat, Muraki included.
1. Chapter One

"_I'm sorry for my mistakes I never knew I could act so strange_

_I always wanted to make sense but I never intended to hurt you _

_With the things I never said, bending forwards and back _

_Losing myself when I needed me most [...]_

I tried the best I could to be kind 

_I'd like your respect, but I'd rather keep mine._"

                        Salamander, by Kaia

            JuuOhCho was never a quiet place. 

            Hisoka had a hard time adapting to the different sounds, people, emotions –and their display –around him. Truth to be told, he wasn't exactly used to it yet. But he had developed a few habits that helped him to live every day without too much trouble. Like walking outside whenever an over-excited person would walk into the building or putting on headphones and listening to distracting music. Anything to escape the unwelcome feelings.

            But it wasn't so easy to work in JuuOhCho, even after three years of it, sometimes he felt like an outcast in that place. Tsuzuki was the only person he had really bonded with, the only person he was comfortable around. To his co-workers, superiors, and 'friends' he remained as he had been when he first arrived.

            Other people had their problems. Hisoka was very aware of that, and he had no objection to it. He had his own problems. But he didn't like dealing with other people's problems and he didn't like people to try to deal with his. That was, at least, much more complicated than it seemed. 

            Hisoka was sixteen years old. Aside from his hormones, parental denial, a childlike twenty-six years old bugging him all the time and empathy, age was a problem for him. The adolescent body was extremely weak, so he was lacking where resistance, stamina and strength were concerned. He hated being weak. He hated being the weak part of the duo. 

            Tsuzuki was a nice guy, but he had two major problems. One, his past and everything that he had done in it that he simply couldn't let go. No matter how cheerful he pretended to be, how much he tried to keep the guilt and sadness at bay, Hisoka could always feel it, and it hurt. Two, Tsuzuki simply didn't need Hisoka. In a pair, there's always the 'head' and the 'hands', but Tsuzuki was both strong and intelligent. He was, yes, a fool sometimes, always in search for food –mostly sweets –pretending never to be serious and all, but that was only half of him. The other half was cold, analitic and severe. No one had ever gotten to see that side of Tsuzuki but himself. Hisoka only knew that it existed because Tsuzuki wanted nothing but the best for him. Wanted to protect him and help him to live through his problems, not let anything or anyone ever hurt him again and Hisoka didn't want to be protected. He was tired of being the 'weak' half, the useless half. Tsuzuki's problems were begining to bother him.

            Hisoka breathed in deeply, closing the folder that he had put in front of him three hours ago. Not even half of the paperwork done and it was already five thirty. JuuOhCho was empty, except for a few shinigami who hadn't finished their papers yet, or those just sitting and chatting contently, those emotions were _nice_ to feel. So he just relaxed in the reclining chair and closed his eyes. It was so hot there. He could barely wait till he got home and turned on the air conditioned. 

            It took him a good ten minutes to open his eyes again. He stared at a picture that lay face-down on his desk. Hisoka didn't need to look at it to know what it was of: Tsuzuki and himself, lost somewhere in Kyoto, where they had been during their last vacation together. Tsuzuki was waving happily at the camera, Watari had taken the picture. Watari was working at the time and they met accidently. Hisoka was looking rather bored in the picture, trying to push Tsuzuki's arms away from his shoulders. Hisoka had liked the picture. For a few days. _That's it, then._

            He stood up and walked slowly to Tatsumi's office. 

            Hisoka stared at the closed door for quite a while. It was cruel. One year ago he'd never even think of asking such a thing but, lately, working with Tsuzuki was starting to suffocate him. The changed were easy to notice. Hisoka had never been cheerful like his partner, but he did look healthy. Now, he was begining to look like what he truly was: dead. 

            Still...

            ...Tsuzuki had been his partner for three years. Tsuzuki had never really needed him, but he was always there, being friendly, sympathetic, trying to make him smile, even when he never succeeded. And it wasn't like Tsuzuki hadn't noticed the shadows around the boy's eyes, the way his skin was paler than usual, how he always seemed to be tired. 

            Tired and scared. And uncomfortable. 

            Hisoka's logic and feelings were waging a silent war inside of his head, and the headphones weren't helping. 

            He didn't notice when the door was opened and a tall man looked at him in curiosity. "Kurosaki-kun? What are you still doing here? It's six o'clock." 

            Hisoka shook his head. _Six?_, he raised an eyebrow, looking at his watch. Six o'clock. PM. Trying not to let his confusion show, he pulled off the headphones and leaned against the doorframe. "Tatsumi-san...can I talk to you for a moment?" then he paused, trying not to cower. _I can do it_, he assurred himself. "I'd like to ask you something." 

            Tatsumi hesitated for a moment, looking at the pile of papers that lay on his desk. 

            "I promise it won't take too long." Hisoka hastily said, noticing the nervous glance. "Just a moment, it's that...Tsuzuki's off doing something and I don't think I'll ever get the chance to say that again and...please?" 

            "Come in. I'm afraid I don't have much time, though." The secretary said, returning to his desk and placing a chair that was on the corner in front of his. "Sit down." 

            "Thank you." Hisoka said, sitting down rather uncomfortably. 

            "So, what do you want to talk about?" Tatsumi urged, looking impatiently at the clock that ticked annoyingly on the wall. 

            "Maybe I should talk to Konoe-kachou. I guess he's the one that deals with that stuff." Hisoka said, standing up. _I can't do this. I can't do this to Tsuzuki._

            "Konoe-kachou left half an hour ago." Tatsumi said, arranging his glasses. 

            The boy sat back down, taking a deep breath. "Tatsumi-san, I..." there was a lump in his throat, his hands shook. For the first time in life, Hisoka understood what it was like to really despair. He wasn't battling an enemy this time. He was abandoning a friend. "...I don't think I can be Tsuzuki's partner anymore." His voice came out in a whisper as he fought to keep it steady, looking at the floor, unable to see what Tatsumi's reaction would be. 

            Tatsumi raised his eyebrows. The information took a while to sink in and he wondered if Hisoka was joking or just trying to surprise him. The latter had worked perfectly. "And why is that?" 

            "Because...he can't _let go_. He can't live the present properly and lets his guard down often. It makes me nervous, I feel all that...that...fear, and guilt, and pain, that he has inside of him and it makes me remember things that I...I wouldn't like to remember." Hisoka said, keeping his head low and his voice barely steady. "He treats me like a child or a highly breakable doll. And I don't know why but when he goes into that paranoia of protecting me he...makes me remember Muraki. And how he liked to be 'oh-so-careful' as if I was going to break under...under..." he stopped, unable to continue because his voice cracked, and he hid his face on his hands to hide away the tears. _Perfect. Exactly like I planned: a breakdown._

"Tsuzuki gets a little overprotective at times, I agree. Maybe if, instead of coming to me to talk about him, you actually talked to _him_, the two of you could find a way to—" 

            "No, I can't..." Hisoka whispered, his voice muffled by his hands. "I can't talk to him. I mean, what am I supposed to say?"

            "That you are not exactly pleased with the way he's been treating you." The secretary said, emotionlessly. "I'm sure he would understand." 

            "I can't, I just can't, ok?" Hisoka said, wiping away the tears that had trickled down his cheek. 

            "Then maybe I could talk to him and—"

            "No!" the boy stood up, face paler than ever in fear. "Please, don't do that, don't tell him that I asked you that. Please, don't tell him." 

            "If you don't want me to, I won't." Tatsumi said, assurringly. "But please, think of what you're asking. If that's what you want, we can pair you up with another shinigami. I guess there's no need to say that Tsuzuki's overprotectiveness comes from the affection that he feels for you and that deserting him at this point would leave him rather... sad, to say the least." 

            "...I know, Tatsumi-san." Hisoka said, bitting the sleeve of his jacket, trying to prevent more tears from coming from his eyes. "It's not that bad. I don't mind his protection. I just wished he'd move on. Forget all those bad feelings in  his past and live _now_, feel _now_. It's suffocating, knowing that the cheerful person beside you is about to kill himself and you can't help it." 

            Hisoka left the room feeling more miserable than he had when he first walked in. 

            _That was low_, his mind told him, accusingly. _That was very low._

            "I know. Leave me alone." He whispered to the annoying voice, leaving the building of JuuOhCho and walking sadly among the cherry trees. 

            _You shouldn't have talked to Tatsumi in the first place._, it said. _Now someone knows that you're leaving a friend when he needs you the most._

            "He doesn't need me. He's self-suficient." Hisoka said, angrily. 

            _He is. But are you?_

            "Of course I—oh, great, now I'm arguing with a voice inside my head." He said, searching in his pockets for the key of his apartment. An old woman was walking out of her apartment when he said that and stared at him curiously. Hisoka blushed, pushing the door open, then closing it behind him. "It's time to call it a day." He breathed, closing his eyes and sinking to the floor. 

            _How long till Tatsumi tells Tsuzuki just what you told him?_

            "Tatsumi-san said that he wouldn't tell Tsuzuki a thing." 

            _Did you really believe that? Well, let him do it. That wouldn't hurt, would it? _

            Hisoka opened his eyes, staring at the wall in front of him. A plain, cream-colored wall. No pictures, no nothing. The apartment was as empty as his soul at the moment. Maybe one day he'd put some pictures on the walls and paint them a more cheerful color. 

            But right now, the apartment was perfect for him.

            Desolated. Sad. Abandoned. 

*****

            It was morning, a bright, summer day.

            Tsuzuki didn't have a clue why Tatsumi had called him out for lunch. He also found it strange that Hisoka had called in sick and he wouldn't let Tsuzuki visit him. Deduction lead him to one conclusion. _Oh, god. I screwed it up. _

"Tatsumi-san...what's _really_ going on? Hisoka is not really sick, is he?" he asked, looking sadly at the untouched piece of pie on the table before him. 

            "No, he's not." Tatsumi said. 

            "Is he mad at me? Did I do something wrong?" the situation was begining to bother him. Hisoka was never late, had never called in sick and would never stay home instead of coming to work unless he was nearly 'dead'. Tsuzuki had noticed that the boy had been acting strange around him, but whenever he'd ask what was wrong, Hisoka would just say it was nothing and ignore him. But it wasn't 'nothing'. 

            "Yes and no." 

            "What do you mean 'yes and no'?" Tsuzuki asked, leaning forward, nervously. 

            "Yes, you did do something wrong. And no, you didn't mean to do it." Tatsumi said, calmly.   

            "What...what did I do?" 

            "Kurosaki-kun came to talk to me last night." The secretary started, seriously. "He told me that he didn't think that he was capable to be your partner anymore," the expression on Tsuzuki's face was undescribable, but 'despair' was what came closer to it. "but of course, he didn't mean it."

            "He...he doesn't want...to be my...partner anymore?" 

            "I've never said that, Tsuzuki, pay more attention to what I say. He said that he didn't think that he was _capable_ to be your partner anymore, not that he didn't want to. And, fortunately, he told me why. Makes things easier for, if you want to keep him as a partner, you can simply fix these small flaws that he's pointed." 

            "Of course I want to be his partner! Tell me, what did he say?" Tsuzuki asked, hopefully. 

            "He is not very content with the way you treat him." 

            "The way I treat...but I try my best to take care of him, I try not to let him hurt and—"

            "And that's exactly what he's complaining about, you won't let him take care of himself. You see, he's a teenager trying to prove himself to the world, trying to make us believe that he is grown up enough to be what he longs so much to be. Independant. And you're treating him like a child and he can't stand it." Tatsumi said, crossing his legs and resting his hands on his knee. "That's his first complaint." 

            Tsuzuki lowered his head. "I didn't mean to...He never told me..." he rubbed his temples, frowning. "That was the first, right? What's the second?"

            "That you're 'suffocating him with your feelings', using his words." Tatsumi stared at the man on the other side of the table. "Tsuzuki, have you been thinking of your past recently?"

            "Now that you've mentioned it, there are a few things that—" Tsuzuki stopped dead on his tracks. "—god, he can feel it, can't he? That's what's been bothering him, isn't it?" he threw his hands in the air, frustrated. "He won't talk to me, Tatsumi-san! How am I supposed to know that he's going sick because of my feelings?"  

            "I don't blame you. Kurosaki-kun is a very reserved person. Sometimes it is really impossible to guess what he's thinking or feeling." Tatsumi said.

            "What am I going to do now? If I try to fix it I'll probably screw it all up again and end up...without a partner, once more." Tsuzuki smiled, wryly. "I should be used to that, already. But I didn't expect Hisoka to...give up." 

            "But he hasn't given up yet, Tsuzuki. You can prevent him from giving up, if you're willing to try, of course." 

            "I am. How?" 

            "Hisoka is unhappy because he can't help you. Because you can't stop thinking of the past when you're around him. He says it makes him remember that doctor." 

            Tsuzuki raised an eyebrow. "Muraki?" 

            "Yes."

            He stopped for a moment, wondering why on earth would Hisoka ever compare him to Muraki. Tsuzuki had always wanted to protect him from the sadistic doctor, and would never hurt him... _You're hurting him already._, he thought, sadly. "Maybe I'm too obsessed with...protecting him. I'm not letting him breathe. Maybe it would be better if... he just stopped being my partner." 

            "I still don't think that's what he wants. Kurosaki-kun is not used to dealing with people. He is only trying to escape from a situation that he considers uncomfortable. Well, I better go back to JuuOhCho, there's still much work to do." Tatsumi said, looking at his watch. He stood up, politely pushing the chair back under the table. "And I don't know how many people have told you this but your past can't harm you now. Excuse me." 

            The secretary walked into the crowd and disappeared. Tsuzuki leaned his chin on his hands, thoughtful. _Yes, I know. But present does. _There was something in the present that could still harm him. 

            And, for the first time in a long while, Tsuzuki let his serious half take over, and started plotting. 

*****

            _So much for a first chapter. Yes, it was long. But it's a trilogy, and it's hard to fit everything in three chapters._


	2. Chapter Two

Hisoka hated going out at night when he wasn't able to sleep. Bad memories. Still, he left his apartment that night to take a walk in the world of the living. He wasn't sure why he couldn't sleep, maybe because he had nothing to dream about or simply because his air-conditioning was broken and he hated the heat. Once again, bad memories. 

            _I should have gone to work yesterday. _

            The city was particulary empty at three in the morning. He noticed, after walking for half an hour, that their were few people walking the streets, and fewer cars. That was both good and bad. Good because of his empathy; he wouldn't feel overwhelmed by people's feelings, as there weren't many emotions to be felt. Bad because he didn't feel safe when he was _almost alone. Strange things happened when he was alone. _

            _Tatsumi must have spoken to Tsuzuki and now Tsuzuki hates me, oh, just great. Hisoka tried to keep those thoughs out of his head as he walked, trying to count his steps. __No, really, isn't strange that Tsuzuki didn't try to contact me to see if it was true? He's mad._

            Hisoka shook his head and sighed deeply. He looked around and frowned, apparently while his mind was away, his legs had taken him to a place that he had never seen before. He had worked in the city for three years and found it amazing that he could still get lost; the city wasn't that big.

The street was awfully quiet. Hisoka stopped walking and looked at the building across the street. There was an arcade and a bar there. Maybe he could ask for some directions. He took a step forward but stopped when a wave of anger hit him so hard it nearly knocked him off his feet. One of the boys punched an arcade machine and screamed something, the others following suit.

            _Great. Just great. Hisoka thought, massaging his temples and pressing himself against the wall to distance himself from the arcade. He managed to stagger away from the arcade, and ended up getting more lost then before.__Where, now? He decided to rest up a bit before trying to teleport himself back to JuuOhCho. It was nearly six in the morning, he'd wait in the building till the rest of the staff was there and begin his work. __That sounds like a good idea._

            _Sounded like a good idea until he ran into someone and fell back, landing on his rear. He stood up, cussing under his breath and dusting off his clothes. "Don't you look where you goi—" Hisoka gasped, dead in his tracks. __Or, maybe, I could be kidnapped, raped and killed, instead._

            "Hello, boy." 

            Then, Hisoka felt a hand grabbing his hair and his head being forced against the wall twice.  

*****

            The first thing he noticed when he woke up was that he was laying on his side, and his arm was numb. Daylight filtered through a window. He wasn't home.

            Hisoka looked around, curious at first, then terrifyed, remembering who had taken him. He tried to move his arm only to find that his hands were bound behind his back. From the feel of it, it was the same hair that Muraki had used on him during their second encounter Hisoka had learned, the hard way, that struggling against the bonds would only make them cut deeper. His hands were already sticky with blood, he would have to be cautious, lest his wrists get cut deeper. He moved his legs and sighed in relief, noticing that they weren't tied. _Good. His legs weren't going to help him that much, the doors were probably all locked, and he was too weak to teleport. No, he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon._

            He forced himself to a sitting position, wincing as he back cracked from staying still for too long, and looked at his surroundings. A large, empty room, with stone walls and no furniture, except for an old chair in the corner. A window set in the wall beside him showed a setting sun. _Where the hell am–_

            "Did you sleep well, boy?" 

            Hisoka tensed, looking at the doors that had just been opened and a painfully familiar man walked into the room. 

            "Damn you, Muraki!" The boy growled, scrambling towards the closest corner and pressing his back against the wall, trying to stay as far as was humanely possible from the doctor. "I'm sorrt to inform you that Tsuzuki won't be coming this time. I'm not his partner anymore."

            "Tsuzuki-san is coming." Muraki said, sitting in the old chair across the room. "He may not even know you are missing. He was already looking for me before I took you."

            Hisoka raised his eyebrows. "Eh...?" he shook his head, angrily. "What the...Look, I'm tired of being used as bait! If he was coming anyway, why the hell did you bring me here?"

            "A few days ago, he sent a messenger to find me." Muraki said, lighting a cigarrette and crossing his legs. "I expected him yesterday, but he didn't come. I wanted to make sure he came today. I'm....curious, to know why he'd come to me so willingly."

"He wouldn't."

            Muraki shrugged and fell silent, smoking pensively. Hisoka chewed his bottom lip, looking at the ground, an annoying question in his mind.

"What... if he doesn't come today?" he asked, looking at the window. He couldn't see the sun anymore.

            "Then I'll have to be a little more persuasive... and I'll have no further use for you." The doctor said, emotionlessly.

"I don't suppose that means you'll let me go...?" Hisoka asked, head still low but looking at his captor, eyebrows raised in a questioning fashion.

            Muraki simply shook his head. 

            "Damn you, Muraki." Hisoka breathed, leaning his head against the wall, feeling like a lamb that's about to be sacrificed. _This is getting predictable, he bitterly thought, trying to concentrate on teleporting, even though he knew Muraki had doubtlessly put a spell on the room to prevent his escape._

            They didn't say another word for two hours, Hisoka silently worrying that he'd have to get out of his predicament by himself. After considering all his options, he bitterly concluded that he couldn't free himself, Tsuzuki would have to save him. He would having to relay on the older Shinigami

            Muraki looked at his watch. "Eight to ten," he commented.

Three hours and fity minutes left. Trying to break the partnership with Tsuzuki had been a mistake, as much as Hisoka hated to admit it, he needed to be rescued.

            Hisoka wondered if Tsuzuki knew that he had to come today. It would be just like that fool to forget an important appointment. ...or maybe Tsuzuki was just mad at him for deserting him...? He had reasons to be. He had plenty of reasons to be not only mad, but furious, after all Hisoka had promised in Kyoto that he'd stay with Tsuzuki forever and 'forever' didn't last for more than two years. 

            _Well, you've always complained that he babied you too much. Now you've got your wish, dummy_, Hisoka chided himself. _You're on your own. What happened? You got kidnapped. Lovely. _It was ironic... he didn't know if should laugh or cry. Rather then waste the energy, he turned his attention to the past.

            The past he had to remember wasn't pleasant, Hisoka found himself unable to think of anything happy. In his short time he had been alive... and dead, he hadn't accomplished much. He had no happy memories to recall, except the time he spent with Tsuzuki. Only a few happy hours... in nineteen years of existance.

            "Ten fourty-five." Muraki announced, looking at his watch. 

            Hisoka raised an eyebrow, angry. "What is that, a countdown?" he spat, suddenly aware that he had very little time left.

            Muraki just shrugged, and said nothing else after that. Hisoka spaced out again. It didn't last too long, for once again Muraki spoke, lightening his tenth consecutive cigarrette. "Waiting is becoming boring." 

            "Oh really? And what do you suggest we do?" Hisoka asked, regretting the words as soon as they left his mouth.

            Muraki stood up and slowly walked to Hisoka, who pressed against the wall as though he could will himself through it. "Anxious, aren't we?" Muraki crouched an inch from him, a sadistic smile on his cold lips as he blew smoke towards Hisoka. The boy coughed, and on impulse, kicked Muraki's arm, sending the cigarette flying out of the man's hand. "Not a smart move, boy." Muraki said, angrily. 

            "Go to hell!" Hisoka spat, angrily. _Going to die, going to die... but at least my pride will be intact_, he thought, closing his eyes as Muraki forced him against the wall, his body pressed against Hisoka's own, crushing him. _It's a vicious circle, you see. When you think it's over, it just starts again. _

*****   

            Tsuzuki ran. 

            He didn't know exactly when he had learned Muraki's rules, but one thing was certain: the consequences for breaking those rules were catastrophic and couldn't risk that, not this time. The 'prize' was too precious to be lost. 

            So he ran, hoping he'd get there in time. It was foolish to send a messenger, since Muraki already knew what it looked like, he ended up inciting the doctor's curiosity with that. Tsuzuki had expected him to do something...and had sorely underestimated the doctor. Muraki had Hisoka; that simply annihilated Tsuzuki's plans. The meeting had been so well planned... 

            Screw plans. Improvisation would have to do it.

            Messengers were useful and efficient. Tsuzuki knew where Muraki and his hostage were, and wished with all his heart that it wasn't too late. It had been so difficult to pull Hisoka out of the shell that he had created to protect himself, to prevent people from coming dangerously close to him. It had been three years and Tsuzuki was still struggling with the last bits of it, the ones that kept Hisoka away from the rest of the world. He wasn't about to give up on all the work that he had done.

            It was an old house with two floors. All the windows were closed and so was the front door, a large oak slab that offered no resistance against Tsuzuki's weight as he put it down with a simple -yet strong -push. Adrenalin could do miracles. 

            He looked around. There were at least five rooms on the lower floor, plus six or seven on the upper one, and he didn't know in which of them Muraki was. It would take time that Tsuzuki didn't have to check all the rooms one by one, so he summoned the white messenger bird again.

            "Find Hisoka, Fast!" he commanded. The bird flew upstairs with Tsuzuki following it closely. The small magic creature headed to the main suite. "Well, wasn't that obvi-" but instead of pointing to the room, the bird stopped in front of a wall. "What? What are you waiting for? I don't have time to fool around." Tsuzuki said, losing his patience. He liked to fool around, indeed, but not when the only person he actually loved was in danger. 

            The messenger simply tilted its head toward the wall, disappearing after that. Tsuzuki raised an eyebrow and knocked on the wall, it was hollow. He groaned, Muraki had always been fond of riddles and brain-teasers. The doctor had probably thought that it would delay Tsuzuki. But Muraki hadn't considered that the shinigami had very keen allies. The wall hid a door, Tsuzuki felt around for a doorknob or a lever and, finding none, angrily kicked it with all his might.

            Muraki looked up from his hostage's neck at the sound of a door being violently kicked in. He stood up, fixing his tie that he had carelessly tried to take off and walked to the middle of the room with a smile tugging on the corner of his lips.

            Hisoka breathed a sigh of relief, closing his legs and pressing his knees together as hard as he could. _You keep arriving in the nick of time, don't you, Tsuzuki_, he thought, both glad and angry at that. He had been so anxious, so scared and annoyed for nothing. Of course, there was still Muraki, and the fight that he'd soon put up with Tsuzuki and all the blazing hell that would take place in the room, like usual. Put two pyromaniacs in a room, together, and see what happens: exactly what happens during Tsuzuki and Muraki's battles.  

            A few minutes later the old door of the room was slammed open, and in the doorway stood a furious Tsuzuki. 

            Hisoka closed his eyes, trying the best he could to keep the other shinigami's emotions away from his head but, even when his shields were strong, they weren't strong enough to block such a tidal wave of negative emotion. He felt his head begin to ache, and the room became hotter than it had been before. Signs that his empathy was going haywire. _Great, that's all I need right now_. 

            "Tsuzuki-san." Muraki said, calmly looking at his watch. "It's five to midnight. Would you care to account for your delay." 

            Tsuzuki frowned but didn't say a word. Muraki smirked, shaking his head. 

            "Two years ago you'd have more consideration for the boy. But this time there was no hurry. Rearranging priorities?" 

            Tsuzuki just hoped that Hisoka understood Muraki's intentions, or he'd be in trouble. If the doctor managed to make Hisoka think that Tsuzuki had given up on him, he'd lose confidence and probably accept their defeat. Might as well surrender to the white rapist. And Tsuzuki had promised Hisoka that he would never let that happen again.

            _Well, you failed miserably._ Tsuzuki ignored the thought, pulling a fuda from the pocket of his trenchcoat, ready to call upon his shikigami. Muraki took a few steps back and Tsuzuki took that as a withdrawl until he noticed what the doctor's real plan was and groaned in frustration.

            He couldn't hit Muraki without hitting Hisoka now, they were too close. He could try to attack Muraki and risk hurting Hisoka, he would heal anyway, but the problem was that Tsuzuki didn't know how the boy would react to that. Hisoka might take it as a sign that Tsuzuki didn't care about him anymore. That would be violating one of Muraki's rules too: 'don't try to win'. 

            The doctor was close enough to Hisoka to do something that couldn't be reversed, and Tsuzuki wasn't willing to take that risk. He tried to think of an attack, any attack that would hit Muraki without harming Hisoka, but there didn't seem to be any.

            "Muraki!" Tsuzuki cried, angrily. "Stop being a coward!"

            "A coward, Tsuzuki-san? How so?" Muraki asked, smugley. 

            "Using Hisoka as a human shield. Can't you fight one on one? Afraid you might lose?" Tsuzuki hoped that all the taunting would make Muraki leave Hisoka's side and try to attack him. Muraki didn't flinch. _Kuso..._ "What do you want, Muraki?"

            "First to know why you were looking for me." 

            "Why would I look for you?" Tsuzuki asked, clenching his hands into fists, crushing his fuda in one of them. 

            "I saw the messenger, Tsuzuki-san. A white bird in the dark nightly sky isn't one of the most discrete things in this world. I expected you to come soon, but you took so long that I decided that I didn't want to wait anymore. So I lured you here with him," Muraki pointed at Hisoka nonchalantly. 

            "I'm here already, now let him go." Tsuzuki said, frowning. 

            "I don't think so." 

            Tsuzuki took a step forward, but the doctor didn't move, still standing dangerously close to Hisoka. _Still not safe to attack_, Tsuzuki cursed, placing the crunched fuda back into his pocket. He wished for a moment that he had a gun, like Hisoka, to shoot Muraki between the eyes. Maybe, if the doctor didn't consider him a threat anymore, Tsuzuki could get close enough to pull Hisoka to safety. _I have to move him, but how?!_ It hit him, suddenly, and he cursed himself for being so slow. "I'll tell you," Tsuzuki started, rolling his eyes. "but not here." 

            Muraki raised an eyebrow. "'Not here'?"            

            "Yes. Not here. Outside." Tsuzuki pointed at the oak doors, supressing a victorious smile. 

            Muraki smiled, shaking his head and walking back till he leaned against the wall, folding his arms in front of his chest and flexing one leg. "You turned out to be a good dealer, Tsuzuki-san." He said, eyes fixed on Tsuzuki, a sadistic smile on his pale lips. "But I'm not interested in a deal. It is so like you to fall for every bait I set. I didn't expect it to be different this time. Why don't y—Argh!"  

            Hisoka didn't know when he had the idea, or what led him to actually act it out. Maybe the need to be more than an useless hostage, to prove to Tsuzuki that he could do something to help him even if he couldn't solve all his problems alone. They were a duo, for crying out loud! They were supposed to do things together. 

            Hisoka kicked Muraki's leg with all his strength, thanking the doctor's mistake of not tying them like he had done with his hands. Taken by surprise, Muraki fell to the floor, eyes wide, not knowing what had hit him. He had never expected Hisoka to actually do something. 

            Tsuzuki stared, raising his eyebrows, unsure of what to do next. Hisoka groaned. 

            "Attack, Tsuzuki, now!" he cried, looking angrily at his partner. He kicked Muraki again as he tried to stand up. The doctor glared at him. 

            "Why, you little...—"

            "Attack!! Do it, now!" Hisoka cried again, as Tsuzuki seemed to be hesitant. 

            "But, you are..."

            "Damn it, Tsuzuki!! I'll heal later! _ATTACK!!!"_

            Tsuzuki took the fuda from his pocket again, placing between his fingers and raising it to his face. "I call upon you as one of the twelve gods that protect me." he said, placing his hands together. "Come forth...Suzaku!" 

            Hisoka closed his eyes as the flaming phoenix attended the call, the room suddenly too hot and too bright for him. He heard Suzaku's high pitched cry and the cracking of the fire that consumed the room, the glass of the windows breaking, almost exploding, a voice that he couldn't recognize screaming and, before he passed out completely, Hisoka felt a hand shaking his shoulder, someone calling his name.

*****

            "Hisoka...? Hisoka, wake up! Hisoka!" 

            Hisoka groaned, pressing his hand to his temples, trying to make the throbbing headache go away. "I'm awake. I'm awake." He said, opening his eyes to look into purple ones that were all he could see. "Tsuzuki, you're too close." He pushed his partner away, shaking his head and sitting up. 

            "Are you okay?" Tsuzuki asked, concerned. 

            "Aa. Aside from my head, nothing hurts." Hisoka said, looking around. They were still in the same room, but now the ceiling and the walls were burnt. The curtains were only a pile of ashes on the floor and the glass of the windows had been broken. 

            And, in the middle of the room, Muraki laid unconscious. 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

            _"Truth is, you could slit my throat, and with my one last gasping breath __I'd apologize for bleeding on your shirt." (You're so Last Summer, by Taking Back Sunday)._

            _Almost done. One chapter to go. _My beta rewrote the whole fic. So, it's half his now even when he hates it._ _


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